


Feels like home

by MerlucaOTP



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: F/M, Grey's Anatomy References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 16:10:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18920485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerlucaOTP/pseuds/MerlucaOTP
Summary: Merluca one-shots and drabbles in the same universe will be posted here, just not in chronological order.





	1. Chapter 1

His arms around her as her head rests upon his chest is by far becoming her favorite place to be. His arms feel like home, warm and safe. Both feelings she never thought she would associate with a man again. Losing Derek, broke her heart into pieces, more so than when her mother called her ordinary. Derek was the one man who could break her heart and also make her feel like she was the most important person in the world. It was their thing, they fought just as hard as they loved. Their marriage was always a constant tug of war between anger, hurt, pain, and love. 

With Andrew, everything felt different. She didn’t know if it was because she was older now, no longer constantly plagued by the failures of her past, her parents' ghosts. She felt as though they were skipping a few dozen steps. Every day she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. For the long lost wife to show up. Or a girl from a bar to try to lay claim to him. But no one came. Almost every obstacle thrown their way had been dealt with without any raised voices. He didn’t prioritize his career over their relationship. Meredith didn’t feel as though she was competing against him. If anything his losses were hers just as well as his wins were. Although she was older than him, she felt like they were on equal footing, not once did she try to one-up him and vice versa. It felt nice. For once she wasn’t full of competing and confusing emotions. Sure there was that one hiccup when Andrew retreated into himself after his father left, but even that wasn’t done out of anger and malice. He was hurt and he did not feel that it was okay to drag her down with him. 

The beat of his heart was loud against her ear. “I love you” he had exclaimed just a few days ago, prompting Meredith to do the only thing she knew how to run. Run and avoid, and now here she was, days later, back in his arms without any questions from him. Without any demands that she responds, which she desperately wanted to. She knows that she loves him, she can feel it with every breath she takes, with every kiss she places upon his lips. It was the all-consuming kind of love that she was so afraid, yet so desperate to feel again. “I’m sorry” she breathes against his chest. He doesn’t respond with words, instead, he pulls her further into his embrace and just holds her. “Andrew?” She tries again because she’s determined to make things right. “hmmm” he murmurs as he places a kiss on her neck. “I love you too” she mumbles as she pulls away to look him in the eyes. She wants him to see that she means it, that she’s serious. “I know Mere” he says with that sparkle in his eyes that she loves to see. “you do?” “yes, why do you think I didn’t break down your bedroom door when you refused to come out the other night? I knew then that you needed time, time to come to the realization that you can’t live without me!” The end is said with a smile on his face, letting her know that he’s teasing her, typical Andrew. “you’re such a jerk” she exclaims as she attempts to shove him with a hand on his chest, only to be pulled back into his embrace. “I’m in no rush babe, I understand that things are complicated” “ha! Complicated is an understatement” she jokes. “I just needed you to know that I’m all in” he explains as he caresses her cheek. He has the most sincere eyes, she thinks as she studies his face. “me too” she murmurs as she leans in for a kiss. A kiss that doesn’t happen because she suddenly finds herself being lifted in the air and twirled around by one exuberant Andrew Deluca. If he reacts to new information this way every time, she’s going to have to soundproof her bedroom she thinks as remembers about the little test she still has to take.


	2. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obstacles.

“You’re not my dad, you can’t tell me what to do!” The door slams shut and Andrew expels a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Zola was the one that remembered Derek the best. She was the oldest, therefore she had more time with him. Winning her over had been the hardest part of his relationship with Meredith. She objected to him being over, she hated that he kissed her mom. She hated the idea of them period and it was wearing on their relationship. He knew that Meredith was becoming more and more stressed by Zola’s tantrums whenever he was around and to be honest so was he. He felt like he was fighting a losing battle. Tonight Meredith had been paged to the hospital, an emergency she said. Unfortunately for him, there was no one else to watch the children. It was late and waking Bailey, Zola, and Ellis up was not an option, so he volunteered to stay. “What’s the worst that can happen” he had stage whispered, trying his best to hide his fear that something would go wrong. After a minute of silence, she had kissed him and left. 

The first twenty minutes after her departure were easy. Andrew sat in front of the tv on the couch, water in hand, watching a show about motorcycles. The house was quiet, something that rarely happened and Andrew was enjoying the peace. That is until a shout from Zola’s room had him rushing up the stairs and into her personal domain. Zola had woken up from a bad dream and was crying out for her mom. He tried to console her, murmuring that everything would be okay while holding her in his arms and surprisingly she had allowed him to do so. For once Andrew had felt as if she didn’t completely hate him and then he had said the one thing that set her off. “why don’t we go downstairs and I’ll make you a hot chocolate?” He offered the hot drink because that’s what his mama would give him when he couldn’t sleep. And I mean what child doesn’t love chocolate right? Well, he finally found one child. 

He could hear the sobbing behind her door and he so desperately wanted to make it better. He understood what it was like to have a single mother. What it’s like to meet your mom’s new boyfriend. After all, he had experienced it himself, after his mama had left his papa. “Zola? Can I come in please?” His inquiry is met with more sobbing and so he does what he thinks is best, he barges in. His heart breaks when he sees Zola in the middle of her bed, tears running down her cheeks, and a surgery scrub cap in her hand. He can only assume it’s Derek’s. “I’m sorry Zola, I thought hot chocolate would help you go back to sleep. My mama used to make some for me when I had bad dreams,” the sobbing lessened to the occasional hiccup and so Andrew pushed on. “when I was your age, my mama and I moved here to America, my dad and my sister Carina stayed behind in Italy. I used to miss them so much that I had a hard time sleeping and the times that I did sleep, my dreams were not happy” he explained as he gently sat at the foot of the bed. “why did your dad and sister stay behind?” Questioned Zola as she sat up in bed and wiped her tears away. “because my dad and mom had a complicated relationship, let me see how do I explain this so you can understand? Let’s put it this way, my dad didn’t make my mom smile anymore” Andrew hoped she understood what he was saying. He was in uncharted territory and he really was praying he didn’t mess this up. “The way you make my mom smile?” 

“I guess so, does she smile a lot?” He was genuinely interested to know the answer to that. Meredith kept her feelings close to her chest. “yes, whenever you call or text her, she smiles all big and goofy, the way she did when daddy would come home.” The frown is back on her face and Andrew really just wants to erase it. “Zola, can I be honest with you? Talk to you like a grown up a little bit?” Andrew really hopes Meredith won’t be killing him after this. At her nod, he takes a deep breath and goes for broke.”I love your mom a lot and I want to be here for her and you, Bailey and Ellis. I want to help, make things easier for all of you, but if that is what is making you sad, what is making you have bad dreams, then I’ll stop coming around.” Saying it out loud physically hurts but he knows that he loves this little girl, almost as much as he loves her mother and he does not want to be the person to blame for the pain she’s oh so obviously in. “you mean you’ll break up with my mom?” “ Yes if that’s what it takes to make you happy. I love you too kiddo and I hate to see you sad” Andrew was bracing himself for her to agree to his idea. Mentally preparing himself to walk away, not for this little girl to throw herself in his arms. To wrap her arms around his neck so hard he has to adjust her before putting his arms around her as well. “don’t leave Andrew” “I’m not kiddo, not until your mom gets home” she pulls away, tears once again in her eyes “no don’t break up with my mom, I like having you here” she exclaims as her hands frame his face. As if she’s making sure he’s listening. “I just don’t want to forget daddy” Andrew’s heart breaks because he too understands this feeling. While his papa was indeed alive, he was so far away that at times it felt like he was gone. “you won’t Zozo, your mom won’t let that happen. You can talk about him all the time, even if I’m here.” 

“Hey, why is my best girl awake?” Both Zola and Andrew are startled at the sound of Merediths voice. But it’s Zola that reacts first. “Andrew is going to make me a hot chocolate because I had a bad dream” she explains as she grabs Andrew by the hand and starts leading him out of her room and towards the kitchen. Leaving a baffled, but smiling Meredith behind. 

Clearly, Andrew and Zola didn’t hear her get home. They don’t know that she heard their whole conversation even the part where Andrew said he loves Zozo. Just as she’s about to shut Zola’s door, she spots the ferry boats scrub cap that Derek used to wear. She wondered where that had gone, she had not been able to find it in months. She lifts it from Zola’s bed and for a second holds it against her chest. “thank you Derek” She knows that where ever he is he’s still somehow taking care of them, Andrew is an example of that. She leaves the cap on Zozo’s bed and follows the giggles to the kitchen where she finds something she was losing hope was ever going to happen. Her eldest daughter, telling jokes with the new love of her life, Andrew Deluca. “mom Andrew can cook, like really cook”. Zola exclaims excitedly. “I cook” Meredith defends. “yeah but he can make spaghetti and lasagna and all the food Auntie Amelia orders when its your day to cook” Andrew tries to hide his smile behind his hand but is forced to fake cough to cover the giggle that inevitably slips out. “well then maybe Andrew can come over and cook dinner tomorrow night since he finds that so funny” taunts a flustered Meredith. “yes! Can you please Andrew?” Begs Zola, once again taking everyone in the room by surprise. Andrew not wanting to disappoint agrees instantly. “how does lasagna, with garlic bread sound?” he asks while mentally preparing a shopping list. “perfect” Zola exclaims as she turns back to her hot chocolate. Meredith's and Andrew's eyes meet above Zola's bent head and all is right with the world, for that night at least. Lord knows what other bombs they’ll have to defuse tomorrow, and the day after that and so on. But its the fact that they get a tomorrow that has put a smile on their faces and a light in their eyes.


End file.
